The classic cylinder heads of all Series Land Rover engines(but not V8's) are made of cast iron and are therefore heavy. Reasons for removing the cylinder head usually relate to an observed lack of engine power (often accompanied by noisy rough running, if the cylinder head gasket is the cause of the problem). A cylinder compression test should show all compression readings within 10% of each other, otherwise a lower reading indicates where the fault lies. Cylinder heads can crack, though not common on petrol engines but slightly more so on diesels. Other common problems related to cylinder heads are due to the valve operating system and damaged valve seats.

It should be noted that original 4-cylinder cylinder heads from Series Land Rover engines are fitted with valve seats that are too soft for unleaded fuel. The classic 6-cylinder cylinder head however can cope with unleaded fuel as hardened valve seats were fitted as standard.

Articles linked to below, discuss a variety of topics, such as:

The October 2013 UK homepage provides a discussion of the perceived need for obtaining increased engine power to cope with modern traffic requirements. It focuses upon the fitting and benefits obtained by replacing the 7:1 or 8:1 2286cc cylinder head with a 9:1 compression ratio gas flowed cylinder head designed by ACR Ltd.

The November 2013 UK homepage describes the operation and importance of valve timing for all Series Land Rover petrol engines. Problems encountered when the timing is not correct are described and details on the correct setting procedure is given, along with the required settings for a range of classic engines.

The October 2015 UK homepage takes the form of a fault diagnosis exercise. The problem set is one of reduced engine vacuum and a theoretical diagnosis procedure is adopted to find the cause. The role of the cylinder head in the process is central to the exercise but other possible causes of the reduced vacuum are also investigated.

Archived Cylinder head Articles From Foreign Series123.com Homepages
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The September 2008 USA homepage describes the procedure for the removal of the cylinder head from the engine whilst it is still located in the vehicle.

The December 2008 USA homepage discusses procedures for servicing the cylinder head once it has been removed from the engine and stripped down. Such procedures as decarbonising and valve grinding are described.

The October 2015 USA homepage takes the form of a fault diagnosis exercise. The problem set is one of reduced engine vacuum and a theoretical diagnosis procedure is adopted to find the cause. The role of the cylinder head in the process is central to the exercise but other possible causes of the reduced vacuum are also investigated.

The October 2015 Australian homepage takes the form of a fault diagnosis exercise. The problem set is one of reduced engine vacuum and a theoretical diagnosis procedure is adopted to find the cause. The role of the cylinder head in the process is central to the exercise but other possible causes of the reduced vacuum are also investigated.